1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display portion of a refrigerator and a rapid refrigerating function.
2. Discussion of Background
FIG. 10 is a front view of a conventional refrigerator. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 10 for illustrating an inside of the conventional refrigerator. In FIGS. 10 and 11, the refrigerator is constructed by a freezing chamber 5, a refrigerating chamber 1, a chilling chamber 10, and a vegetable chamber 4. Numerical reference 6 designates a handle as a secure hand, formed on a door of the refrigerator. Numerical reference 11 designates a temperature controller, formed on a back surface of the refrigerating chamber 1. Therefore, in order to access the temperature controller for controlling a temperature inside the refrigerator 1, it is necessary to widely open the door, wherein an increment of the temperature inside the refrigerator is caused and a hand cannot be easily reached to the back surface of the refrigerating chamber 1. Further, a current setting can be checked by opening and closing the door, whereby the temperature controller is not easily used.
FIG. 12 illustrates a conventional refrigerator having a structure similar to that described in FIGS. 10 and 11. This conventional refrigerator is constructed by a freezing chamber 5, a refrigerating chamber 1, a chilling chamber 10, and a vegetable chamber 4, wherein a temperature controller 11 is located on a front surface of a door for the freezing chamber 5.
Even though the temperature controller 11 is located outside the refrigerator, not inside this, the position of the temperature controller is not in alignment with an eye line and is not observed without unconsciousness. Therefore, in cases that a setting is not appropriate and a temperature increment inside the refrigerator is displayed, adjustments are not sufficiently quick to avoid an influence to freshness of foods. Further, because the temperature controller 11 is located in the freezing chamber 5, not like the temperature controller 11 in the refrigerating chamber 1 illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, there is a temperature difference from an outer air of about xe2x88x9218xc2x0 C. Therefore, frost is generated when a sufficient thermal insulation in not realized at where the temperature controller 11 is located. Adversely, in case that a sufficient thermal insulation is realized, there are problems that the temperature controller 11 protrudes from the door surface to affect a design, an adjustment of the temperature is changed at time of opening and closing the door by striking against walls, furnitures and so on, and similar situations to those described above occurs.
FIG. 13 illustrates a conventional refrigerator, constructed by a refrigerating chamber 1, a vegetable chamber 4, and a pair of vertically arranged freezing chambers 5, wherein a temperature controller 11 is located in the refrigerating chamber 1. Although the temperature controller 11 is located at a lower position of the refrigerator than that in FIG. 12, children easily operate the temperature controller 11 to erroneously change a temperature setting, whereby there is a possibility that foods are frozen or rotted.
FIG. 14 illustrates a conventional refrigerator constructed by a refrigerating chamber 1, a vegetable chamber 4, and a freezing chamber 5 from up to down, wherein a temperature controller 11 is located in the refrigerating chamber 1. Although the temperature controller 11 is located on an upper portion of the door in an uppermost stage of the refrigerator having a low height. Although this position of the temperature controller 11 is easily accessible at time of using the refrigerator, because electronical components such as a board is included in the temperature controller, there are many cases that the refrigerator is damaged under a packed state by a pressure, and various objects are put on a top of the refrigerator because of its low height, whereby problems such that the refrigerator is destroyed by a collision with an object, and moisture intrudes into the refrigerator.
Further, in a case that the refrigerator is installed along a wall and cases similar thereto, because the temperature controller 11 is located in upper and lower portions and so on of a center of the door, as illustrated in FIGS. 10, 11, 12, a display portion is occasionally destroyed by striking against a wall, a pillar and so on at time of opening the door. Therefore, it is necessary to cover using a lid and so on, and provide a locking mechanism for the door and other means similar thereto.
FIG. 15 is a detailed view of the temperature controller 11, illustrated in, for example, FIGS. 10 through 14. In the figures, numerical reference 11a designates an LED display portion for showing a state of temperature control. Numerical reference 11b designates a switch for controlling the temperature control. The temperature controller 11 is horizontally extending for separately serve by each chamber of the refrigerator. The temperature controller 11 is constructed by LED display portions 11a and switch portions 11b, both respectively corresponding to the chambers. However, such an arrangement of the LED display portions 11a and the switch portions 11b can not be easily distinguished because only labels of a freezing chamber temperature control, a refrigerating chamber temperature control, and a chilling chamber temperature control are displayed, whereby there is a possibility that a wrong chamber is erroneously controlled because it is not instinctively know which label corresponds to which chamber. Further, because the switch portion 11b is arranged adjacent to the LED display portion 11a, and the switch portions 11b are arranged on left and right sides of the LED display portion 11a, a hand of an operator covers the LED display portion 11a at time of controlling the temperature, and the operator can not observe the LED display portion 11a, whereby the operation is difficult.
FIG. 16 illustrates a relationship between a display of a set condition in a function of setting the temperature by the temperature controller 11 and a range of temperature changes with respect to a medium mode indicator in the temperature controller. In FIG. 16, an abscissa represents a content of the display by the LED display portion 11a of the temperature controller 11, and an ordinate represents the range of the temperature change [deg] with respect to the medium mode in setting the temperature. For example, when the LED display portion 11a indicates a low mode, a temperature higher than the medium mode by 3xc2x0 C. is set. In this case, there is one step between the medium mode and the low mode. Therefore, it is possible to set temperatures higher and lower than the medium mode by 1.5xc2x0 C. When it is required to minutely set the temperature less than 1.5xc2x0 C., the LED display should be expanded. However, there is no sufficient space for expanding the LED display, a cost therefor is increased; and a more minute control can not be attained for food to be easily frozen. In order to avoid the freezing of the foods, it is always necessary to increase the temperature by 1.5xc2x0 C. or more, whereby a keeping quality is deteriorated. Adversely, when it is required to cool the foods, these are excessively cooled, whereby an energy can not be saved.
In a conventional refrigerators, when a large amount of foods are stored into the refrigerator at time of purchasing the large amount of foods and under a situation similar thereto, for example, a high mode is selected in the temperature controller 11 so as to quickly cool the foods for rapidly decreasing the temperature. However, in such a case, foods like tofu especially containing much moisture are apt to freeze because the temperature setting is still low after quickly cooling the foods. Thus there is a problem that an electric power consumption is useless.
The conventional refrigerator is cooled by detecting the temperature inside the refrigerator by a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature and cooling when the detected temperature is higher than a set temperature to control to bring the temperature into the set temperature. When a heated food is accommodated in the refrigerator, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is increased by a heat from the heated food, wherein a cooling operation is started. At this time, foods, stored in the refrigerator, are influenced by the heat as in the temperature sensor, whereby a temperature of the foods is increased and freshness of the foods is deteriorated.
Further, at time of cooking a cold desert, such as an ice cream, in use of the conventional refrigerators, materials such as daily cream, sugar, eggs and so on are mixed and inserted into the freezing chamber 5 for cooling. After freezing to a certain extent, the materials are once whipped to make the materials contain an air, and thereafter the materials are cooled in the freezing chamber 5. Such an operation is repeated so that the cool desert is not hardened after being finally frozen.
Since the conventional refrigerators are constructed as described above, it is necessary to open and close the door of the refrigerator and, when necessary, foods should be moved for controlling the temperature through the switch portion 11b of the temperature controller; and the door should be kept opened for the temperature control, whereby freshness is deteriorated by an increment of the temperature in the refrigerator, and as a result, the temperature of the foods increase. Further, the inside of the refrigerator is insufficiently cooled or excessively cooled, since the temperature controller 11 is located in a position hardly observed, and therefore it is not possible to quickly check the temperature controller to resultantly delay an adjustment, whereby there are problems that the foods rotted or frozen.
Further, even though the temperature controller 11 is located outside the refrigerator, there are problems that it is not easily checked depending on its position, and children controls it. By an impact at time of opening and closing the door, the temperature controller 11 is broken and becomes inoperable. Further, there are problems that the display portion 11a is hidden by a hand at time of controlling the controller, and a wrong chamber is erroneously controlled, whereby the foods are frozen or rotted in a manner similar to describe above. Further, it is impossible to minutely adjust the temperature controller in conventional refrigerators since the adjustment by each interval of 1.5xc2x0 C. is only possible. Therefore, it is difficult to control so that foods containing much moisture and so on are preserved at a low temperature for keeping freshness and avoiding freezing, and therefore the temperature is set to be a bit higher than required for avoiding the freezing, whereby deterioration of the freshness is caused.
Further, when it is required to easily cook a home made desert without additives such as an ice cream, it is necessary to spend a time for frequently taking the ice cream under cooking out of the inside of the refrigerator, stirring for smoothing, and freezing, whereby a freezing rate is high, a touch is not comfortable, and a taste is not good despite the cooking time.
It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems inherent in the conventional technique and to provide a refrigerator having a temperature controller at a position where a temperature inside the refrigerator can be easily set and checked from time to time, and children and so on can not play with the temperature controller. Further, a minute temperature control becomes possible; a quick freezing function is provided; and a temperature range of facilitating softly freezing an ice cream and so on is obtainable.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising a refrigerating chamber on an upper stage, and a temperature controller having a function of setting a temperature inside the refrigerator, located on a door of the refrigerator covering a front surface of the refrigerator,
wherein the height of the temperature controller is in a level of eyes of users of 130 cm or more from an installing surface of the refrigerator.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising a refrigerating chamber located on an upper stage, and a temperature controller having a function of setting a temperature inside the refrigerator located on a door of the refrigerator covering a front surface of the refrigerator,
wherein a position of the temperature controller is other than upper and lower ends of the door.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising a temperature controller having a control portion for setting a set temperature and a display portion for displaying the set temperature, wherein the temperature controller is located in an upper portion of a secure hand being grasped by hands of users at time of opening and closing a door of the refrigerator.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator having a temperature controller including a control portion for setting a set temperature and a display portion for displaying the set temperature,
wherein a secure hand being grasped by hands of users at time of opening and closing a door of the refrigerator protrudes from a side of the door more than the temperature controller does.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising a plurality of chambers and a temperature controller having display portions corresponding to each of the chambers, and
the display portion of the temperature controller is arranged in a formation in depth in an order similar to an arrangement of the chambers.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising a temperature controller,
wherein control portions of the temperature controller are arranged at a position where a display portions of the temperature controller are not hidden by a hand of a user operating the control portion.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising a temperature controller having a function of setting a temperature inside. the refrigerator, located on a door of the refrigerator covering a front surface of the refrigerator,
wherein the temperature controller comprises a control portion for setting a set temperature and a display portion for displaying the set temperature, and the display portion of the temperature controller, enabling to set a plurality of stages of the temperature, is enabled to display a plurality of types of temperature value and temperature range, and displays more than the number of the types.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising a temperature controller, having a function of setting a temperature inside the refrigerator, located on a door of the refrigerator covering a front surface of the refrigerator,
wherein the temperature controller comprises a control portion for setting a set temperature and a display portion for displaying the set temperature, a pointer for showing a state of temperature setting is formed in the display portion of the temperature controller, which can be set a plurality of stages of the temperature, and more than two pointers are used to set the temperature between adjacent pointers.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising a cold heat tray having a cold heat accumulator storing a cold heat on a bottom surface of a casing accommodating foods in a quick freezing chamber, a cooling air exhaust port for supplying the cooling air into the casing, and a cooled air intake port for taking the cooling air in an upper portion of a front surface of the casing, wherein a compressor and a fan are run upon a command of the cooling operation.
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising a cold heat accumulator located on a lower surface of a casing for accommodating foods and so on in a quick freezing chamber, wherein a cooled air, introduced from a cooler, is subjected to forced convection between an upper portion of a back surface of the casing and an upper portion of a front surface of the casing.
According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising a temperature controller for setting a time for cooling to obtain a predetermined temperature, wherein an end of the time for cooling is informed after a lapse of the time.
According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising a plurality of chambers and a temperature controller having control portions respectively corresponding to the plurality of chambers, wherein the plurality of chambers are quickly cooled by an operation of the control portions.
According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising a temperature controller having a control portion, wherein the control portion is separate from the refrigerator.
According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising a temperature controller having a control portion for setting a set temperature in a preserving chamber of the refrigerator, and a temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature inside the preserving chamber, wherein when a detected temperature inside the preserving chamber from the temperature detecting means is higher than the set temperature, the preserving chamber is cooled; and when the detected temperature is lower than the set temperature, the preserving chamber is heated.
According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising a preserving chamber, a temperature in which is set for soft freezing.
According to a sixteen aspect of the present invention, there is provided a refrigerator comprising a temperature controller having a control portion for setting a set temperature inside the refrigerator, wherein the temperature controller is controlled from an outside by a communication means, such as a telephone line, a lamp circuit, and radio.
According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of operating a refrigerator comprising steps of: setting a temperature inside a preserving chamber, provided for quickly freezing, to be suitable for soft freezing, and quickly freezing the preserving chamber prepared to be a set temperature suitable for storing foods and so on, by a preset time.
According to an eighteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for operating a refrigerator comprising steps of: setting a temperature inside a preserving chamber; and blowing a cooling air into the preserving chamber or heating inside the preserving chamber based on whether or not a temperature of foods and so on, stored in the preserving chamber, is higher than a preset temperature.
According to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for operating a refrigerator, wherein a cooling air is blown into a preserving chamber, or the preserving chamber is heated by a cooling switch or a heating switch.